Serving tray



Aug. 2o, 1940. R s, Moms l 2,211,962

SERVING TRAY Filed May 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTOR N EYS Patented Aug. 20, 15940 Y 2,211,962 p SERVING 'may Robert S. Morris, Mount Calm, Tex. Application May 10, 1938, Serial No. 207,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 311-21) This invention relates to serving trays and more particularly to a portable and adjustable rack structure for serving food and refreshments to the occupants of automobiles.

The prime object oi the invention is to provide a tray that can be readily attached to the steering wheel of the automobile and supported thereon in convenient reach of the driver so that he may be served individually and to eliminate the necessity of his reaching to the tray that is usually hung from the side of the car adjacent the'door or window.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the novel general structure and broad application of the device to the steering wheel and in the particular parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical .adaptation of the invention, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the tray attached to the steering wheel,

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the tray detached from the steering wheel.

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2. v

Figure e is a fragmentary cross section on the line 4-ll of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the manner of supporting the tray on a vertically disposed steering wheel or a loading rack.

Referring now tc the drawings, the numeral I Il designates the body portion of the device which is in the form of a rectangular tray having a substantially U-shaped bail II pivotally attached thereto. As shown, the opposite end portions i2 of the bail are turned outwardly at right angles and extended through apertures provided therefor in the opposite end walls of the tray, said end portions I2 being screwthreaded to receive cap nuts I3 which abut the Vouter faces of the end walls of the tray to hold the bail in place. Y

In mounting the tray upon the steering wheel It, as indicated in Figure l, the intermediate transverse portion I5 of the bail is hooked under the upper portion of the steering wheel rim with the opposite leg portions of the bail extending downwardly over the wheel at an inclination therefrom and the tray I being set horizontally with its inner transverse edge portion resting against the outer side of the lower portion of the wheel, as at It. In order to prevent slippage of the bail II on' the steering wheel I-'i the corner portions of the bail are provided with sleeves il of rubber or other suitable material having a padding eiect as well as affording a frictional engagement with the wheel rim so as to prevent marring of the rim as well as preventing' slippage. In the mounted position of the device, the tray iii and bail l I are locked in their adjusted relation to each other, and vfor this purpose the tray is provided with two upstanding brace members i8 formed of flat metal bars and provided with undercutnotches i9 in their outer vertical edge portions, in which notches the leg portions of the bail I I are received with a releasable interlocking eiiect whichgives ample rigidity to the adjusted structure.

The upright brace members I8, as shown, have right angular extensions 2i] which are riveted to the underside of the tray bottom, as at 2i, while the upper end portions ,of said braces i8 are hooked, as at 22, as an aid in carrying the tray and also for supporting the tray by means other than the inclined steering wheel shown in Figure l,` as will later more fully appear.

In addition to providing for the relative angular adjustment between the tray I0 and bail II whereby the tray may be supported with-30 ample stability in a horizontal position on steering wheels of different inclinations, it is preferable to provide a menu card holder 23 and to locate the same between said upright braces I8 whereby to further reeniorce -and stiften the structure as well as to locate the menu card in aconvenient position out of the way of the tray as well as being in full View of the user of the tray. As shown, this holder comprises a sheet metal plate of rectangular form which is bent back upon itself at opposite ends, as at 24, and again rebent outwardly, as at 25, to provide channels in which the adjacent inner vertical edge portions' of the upright braces I8 are received. In this connection it is preferable 26 between the inturned end plate 23 to serve as guides opposite end portions of the support the lower longitudito provide a space portions 24 of the and holders for the menu card, and, to nal `edge -poition of lower marginal portion of the sheet 23 is turned upwardly and spaced therefrom on the inner side of the sheet, as at 27, thereby providing a channel 28 in which the lower marginal portion of the menu card is received.

the card in the holder, the

Preferably, a support for a cigar or cigarette is located adjacent the lower portion of one of said upright braces I8. As shown, this holder, designated by the numeral 29, comprises a sheet metal clip riveted to the member IS and having a laterally turned upper end portion 3u which is curved or otherwise formed transversely to provide an ample depression or channel to retain the cigar or cigarette thereon. Adjacent the opposite upright brace member E8 there is a spring clip 3l which may be utilized to retain a match or a sales check. So, too, a separate bottle or drinking glass holder 32 may be provided either fixedly or removably upon the tray I0. As shown, this holder 32 comprises a iiat base portion of sheet metal having a plurality of tongues 33 extending upwardly therefrom in opposed spaced relation to each other (see Figures 1 and 2).

While the device of the present invention is designed primarily for attachment to an inclined steering wheel and is ideally adapted for such use, it is here noted that it is readily supported on the horizontal cross member 34 of a loading rack 35, as shown in Figure 6, by the provision of the hooked end portions 22 on the upright brace members l5, and by which provision it is also obvious that the tray may be supported` in other convenient places, as upon a vertical steering wheel or a window ledge or the like.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification within the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings.

What claim is:

l. In a serving tray, a flanged body constituting the tray proper, a substantially U-shaped bail hingedly attached at its opposite ends to the ends of said tray body, and upright brace members on said tray body near the opposite ends thereof, said brace members having notched marginal portions for releasable interlocking engagement of the adjacent bail members whereby to support the tray upon the lower portion of an inclined steering wheel in, level working position with the transverse middle portion of the bail engaged under the upper portion of the wheel.

2. A serving tray comprising a tray body proper, a bail hingedly attached at its opposite ends to the end portions of the tray body medially thereof, said bail being engageable over the upper portion of a steering wheel with the tray body resting edgewise against the lower portion of the wheel, and means comprising upstanding marginally notched brace members on said tray body for releasably locking the latter and said supporting bail in adjusted relation to each other.

3. A serving tray for automobiles and the like, comprising a tray body proper, a bail-like supporting element hingedly attached at its opposite ends to the end portions of the tray body, the middle portion of said supporting element being engageable over the upper portion of an inclined steering wheel of the Vehicle whereby to support the tray with its inner edge portion resting against the lower portion of the steering wheel, and upstanding brace members on the tray body proper, the upper end portions of said brace members being outwardly and downwardly hooked for suspendedly supporting the tray from a support other than an inclined steering wheel and said brace members having provision for releasable interlocking engagement of the leg portions of the bail-like supporting element therewith at different positions throughout the length thereof whereby to level the tray body proper when the tray is supportedon an inclined steering wheel.

4. A serving tray for automobiles and the like, comprising a tray body proper, a bail-like supporting element hingedly attached at its opposite ends to the end portions of the tray body, the

middle portion of said supporting element being engageable over the upper portion of an inclined steering wheel of the vehicle whereby to support the tray with its inner edge portion resting against the lower portion of the steering wheel,

upstanding brace members on the tray body proper, the upper end portions of said brace members being outwardly and downwardly hooked for suspendedly supporting the tray from a support other than an inclined steering wheel and said brace members having provision for releasable interlocking engagement of the leg portions of the bail-like supporting `element therewith at diierent positions throughout the length thereof whereby to level the tray body proper when the tray is ing wheel, and a combined backing and reinforcing plate secured at its opposite ends to said brace members and provided with Vertical slideways adjacent said brace members and having its lower marginal portion tion to the front face of the plate to provide a flanged supporting ledge.

ROBERT S. MORRIS.

supported on an inclined steerrebent in spaced relal 

